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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194712">And We'll Watch the World Burn</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kapua/pseuds/Kapua'>Kapua</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Angst, F/F, Useless Vampires</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:08:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194712</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kapua/pseuds/Kapua</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Stop."</p>
<p>Her voice comes out breathy, and Tissaia almost moans when she feels sharp teeth catch around her wrist, refusing to let go, hunting for more. She gathers herself and injects every bit of command she can summon when she tries again.</p>
<p>"That's enough."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>AKA a vampire!Tissaia and vampire!Yennefer AU. Five times their paths cross. Angst, some smut, and vampires based on how they’re depicted in witcher lore.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tissaia de Vries/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>118</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>And We'll Watch the World Burn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/airotsa/gifts">airotsa</a>.</li>

        <li>
          Translation into Русский available: 
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30180765">И мы увидим, как сгорит этот мир</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Yennifer/pseuds/Red_Yennifer">Red_Yennifer</a>
        </li>


    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Done for a prompt. All vampire-ish traits are based on what I could dig up on the witcher wiki lol, so bear with me if some details are off from the books. </p>
<p>For those who aren't familiar with witcher vampires, there are many varieties, but for the purposes of this fic the only one you need to know about are higher vampires, which are essentially immortal, can enter a regenerative state to heal themselves, and have a wide variety of nifty abilities like super speed, increased intelligence, etc. Also, vampires are born vampires, not turned into them by biting. </p>
<p>Okay, that's all lol, enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first time Tissaia meets her it's completely unexpected. That, in and of itself, is unusual. With how many centuries she's lived, there are few things that can surprise her these days. It's one of the curses of being a Higher Vampire; the immortality is great and all, but there are only so many civilizations she can watch rise and fall before it all becomes a little...predictable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe that's why she bothers investigating in the first place. She's stopped intervening in human affairs as much as she used to, but something about the shouts from the edge of the forest catches her attention. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she gets closer, she stops to observe the scene. A group of young men are crowded around something, shouting and kicking at it. She edges around them to get a better view and her breath catches when she sees what they're tormenting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's another vampire. A younger one, from the looks of her, but obviously injured. Tissaia can't recall ever having seen her before--and she would definitely remember this one, she thinks, as she takes in the raven hair, violet eyes, full lips, and slender figure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her lips curl into a snarl and in half the span of a human heartbeat she's standing over the girl. One of the men has his fist raised in the air, poised to strike the girl, and he can't stop the momentum as Tissaia appears. She catches his wrist and neatly snaps it. The others are already turning to run back towards the village, and she doesn't bother to stop them. If she feels like it she can always find them and kill them later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, her main interest now is the young woman at her feet. Tissaia kneels and pulls her into her lap, a faint frown on her face as she takes in the various injuries. The only reason why basic mortal men would be able to injure a higher vampire like this is if she was just coming off of a regenerative state. But even then, her wounds speak to ongoing agony; there are far too many of them in various stages of healing to have come from a single incident.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman groans, curling in on herself slightly, and Tissaia brushes a lock of matted hair back from her face. Even through the dirt and blood caking the woman's skin, she can see how beautiful she is, and how young. Age is a tricky thing with higher vampires, and she's certainly fully grown, but Tissaia guesses that she's no more than a century old. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She makes an abrupt decision. The woman's injuries are too grievous to wait for them to heal, assuming they would be able to at all. If she chances it, it will mean the woman spending decades in a regenerative state with no guarantee that she'll ever fully recover. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia isn't willing to wait that long. And she's not normally this rash, she knows what she's about to do is out of character for her, but something about the young woman in her lap calls to her in a way she can't quite understand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's that call that makes her prop the younger woman up, shifting her so that the woman's back is pressed to her front. She lifts her own wrist to her mouth and bites, opening the veins and letting the blood flow. She brings the wrist around to the younger woman's mouth and presses it there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Drink."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She murmurs the word against raven hair, and for a second nothing happens. But then she feels lips move against her wrist and has to fight back a shiver at the sensation as a tongue licks along her wrist. It's been centuries since she's let someone feed from her, and the eroticism of the act catches her off guard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lips seal more tightly around the wound in her wrist and she feels the young woman sucking, drinking more enthusiastically as the vitality from Tissaia's veins flows into her. Tissaia's eyelids flutter as she tries to gauge when to pull away. There's always a risk to doing this--if the other vampire takes too much, or won't be stopped. And even as it strengthens the young woman and her injuries melt away before Tissaia's eyes, it weakens Tissaia, makes her feel as if she could crawl into a bed and sleep for a year.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Stop."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her voice comes out breathy, and Tissaia almost moans when she feels sharp teeth catch around her wrist, refusing to let go, hunting for more. She gathers herself and injects every bit of command she can summon when she tries again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough.</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The young woman moves away from her wrist, somewhat to Tissaia's surprise, though she keeps it cradled in her hands and licks away the remaining droplets as the wound slowly knits itself back together. They're both breathing hard, and Tissaia feels a pulse of desire when the younger woman turns to face her. Violet eyes study her thoughtfully, curiously, and Tissaia lets the examination happen with no complaint.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why did you save me?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia's lips thin a little. "Because you needed saving."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The answer doesn't seem to satisfy the younger woman, and she stands abruptly. Tissaia doesn't bother getting off the ground just yet. She looks up at the woman standing above her, pacing the ground like a caged lion, and she thinks to herself that she's stunning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman whirls and glares down at Tissaia. "I will not be chained to you in debt for this healing."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia blinks. "No. No, you shall not." She thinks again of the injuries and scars--now healed and replaced with what looks like an unending expanse of smooth skin--and wonders if perhaps the young woman in front of her knows something of captivity already. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Tissaia's words seem to melt some of the tension from the woman's body, and she stares down at Tissaia for a second longer. Her gaze is confused, angry. Before Tissaia can say or do anything else, the woman is gone, melted into the shadows of the forest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia pushes herself to her feet with a small groan. This may be one of the more foolish things she's done in recent memory. She has no clue who the young vampire is, nor why she was injured and being attacked in the first place. She doesn't even know her name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fortunately--or unfortunately, she thinks with a wry smile--she has a sneaking suspicion this won't be the last time she sees her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>###</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The second time she sees her, she already knows her name. Whispers have been crossing the continent of a woman too beautiful to be real who has taken over the village of Rinde. And maybe "taken over" is too strong a phrase, because as best Tissaia can tell from word of mouth it sounds like the entire village is more than happy with the situation, but it's still not a good look. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So when she steps into the village, she is there partly on personal interest but mostly on business. This is not sustainable, and Tissaia has taken it upon herself to warn the younger vampire. To warn </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yennefer</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That's her name, if the rumors are to be believed. Tissaia can't find much on the younger woman even knowing her name, which is quite unusual. There are generally fairly accurate records with regards to higher vampires born on the continent, at least among their own kind. With so few of them scattered about it is beneficial to know who else is out there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But this Yennefer...nobody knows anything. Or if they do, they aren't saying. It makes Tissaia's teeth itch. If she can find out any additional information about the woman as part of this visit to Rinde, that will be a welcome bonus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The village's streets are empty and quiet. It's not far past dusk, which makes the absence of villagers strange. Normally the roads and businesses would still be bustling at this hour, but all of the doors are shut, the windows dark and unlit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia heads for what she assumes is the mayor's house, set slightly outside the village proper on a small hill. It's more of a mansion, really, and she has a feeling that it's where she will find both Yennefer and the villagers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The foyer of the mansion is quiet, and Tissaia silently moves down the hallways until she reaches a large set of double doors. Brighter candlelight flickers underneath the bottom of the doors. She pushes them open and is met with a scene of decadence that is almost sufficient to make her arch a brow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Villagers are lounging on every available service in various states of undress and engaged in an impressive assortment of sexual encounters. Tissaia moves among them with sufficient speed that they don't even register her entry, and that's how she would prefer this to go. She isn't here for them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, her target is seated on a chaise at the head of the room, looking all too casual at the happenings in front of her. A black dress with an intricate cutout chest hugs her every curve and her skin glows almost golden in the candlelight. Red lip paint the color of blood draws Tissaia's attention to her lips and she has to tear her gaze away to stop herself from imagining how good it would feel to smudge the color away with her mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer looks up as Tissaia approaches and rises. She's a few inches taller than Tissaia, and the way she licks her lips when she glances down at Tissaia's neck makes something hot coil in Tissaia's stomach. She's briefly inundated with the memory of a hot tongue laving her wrist, lips sucking at the delicate skin, before she shoves it away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"If you wanted an invitation, all you had to do was ask."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The voice is silky smooth with just a hint of roughness at the edges, a faint rasp that Tissaia imagines would sound absolutely decadent moaning her name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I wasn't aware an invitation was necessary," she replies archly. "Word of your activities has spread across half the continent, so I assumed that they were open to all."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer rolls her eyes. "Is that it, then? You've come here to lecture me?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia sighs and glances out over the crowd of villagers. "Not a lecture. A warning." The younger woman scoffs, and Tissaia looks at her sharply. "I have not been able to find the details of how you came to be the way you were when I found you, Yennefer. There is precious little to be heard of you at all, and for that reason I wonder if you perhaps do not understand what you invite by making yourself visible in this way."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Visible in what way?" Yennefer challenges. "I'm not controlling them. This isn't some magic spell, cast by a bored mage. These people have their free will. I am merely...creating the opportunity for them to follow the paths that would normally be frowned upon." Her lips pull back in a smirk and Tissaia swallows at the flash of white teeth that's revealed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Be that as it may, there are rumblings. Several influential individuals have already suggested killing you, lest you continue drawing attention to yourself--and our kind by extension. At least one has threatened an audience with the Unseen Elders."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She lets the words sink in, watches the way Yennefer's shoulders tighten with barely restrained anger. Her lips press together into a thin line and Tissaia can practically hear the gears turning in her head as she ponders the options. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why can they not leave me be?" she finally asks, and her gaze is pure fire when she whirls to look at Tissaia. "I am not harming anyone. Do they truly have nothing better to do with their pathetic lives than chase down and eradicate even the smallest havens of pleasure in this shitty world?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia doesn't reply. There's no good answer to the questions that Yennefer is asking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer pauses and looks at her thoughtfully. "But what do you think of all this? What brings the great Tissaia de Vries to my doorstep to give me a personal warning?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And oh, Tissaia was right in her earlier estimation of how perfect her name would sound being wrapped in those velvety lips, but she tries not to dwell on that. She purses her lips and tries to think of what to say, of how to explain why she's come.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I would not see you harmed," is what she finally settles on. "I did not let you drain the life from my body just so that I could watch you meet an early end for being reckless and drawing the notice of those who wish you ill."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer cocks her head to the side. "Ah, so we're back to that--I admit, I've wondered why you even saved me in the first place. Most vampires would not weaken themselves so. Not for someone whose name they don't even know."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then you should be grateful that I am not most vampires," Tissaia snaps back. Something in the younger woman makes her want to fight, to toss verbal barbs at every opportunity just to see how they land and what she can draw out in return. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I suppose it's true I never did express my gratitude for your generosity," Yennefer says thoughtfully. She steps closer, a playful glint in her eyes, and Tissaia holds her ground as the space between them is erased. This close, she can smell the faint perfume the younger woman is wearing, can see the way her lips glisten when her tongue flicks out to moisten them. "Perhaps I should give you a proper thank you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then Yennefer leans down and closes the final scant centimetres between them as she covers Tissaia's mouth with her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kiss isn't soft. From the second their lips make contact, Yennefer presses forward, one hand sliding around to the small of Tissaia's back to pull her closer as she nips at her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Tissaia gives as good as she gets, tongue dipping into Yennefer's mouth and tangling a hand in the hair at the nape of the other woman's neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer breaks the kiss with a gasp, turning her attention to Tissaia's neck. She lingers over her pulse point for minutes that feel like hours, and Tissaia almost crawls out of her skin with want when she feels the sharp scrape of teeth over the skin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia tightens her grip in Yennefer's hair and yanks until the younger woman tips her head back. Yennefer makes a small displeased sound in the back of her throat as she loses contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This cannot continue."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She doesn't know if she means what Yennefer is doing in Rinde or what's happening between them. Part of her wants nothing more than to take Yennefer right here, to strip her bare of the sarcasm and snark and make her beg for everything that Tissaia can give her. It's been a long time since she's wanted another in this way, and the way her blood sings at the feeling of Yennefer's chest heaving against hers is delectable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes drag over the younger woman's neck and hone in on the barely-visible flutter of her artery. She idly wonders what ecstasy would follow if she gave in to the urge to sink her teeth into the smooth skin there, and her mouth waters just imagining what Yennefer would taste like.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Yennefer bends further to the pressure in her hair and takes a step back. It's not much, but even the small distance feels wrong somehow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fine." Her voice is brusque and dismissive, but Tissaia can hear the remnants of desire in it all the same. "I'll leave Rinde in the morning, if that will keep you and your friends from breathing down the back of my neck."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia schools her features into a neutral expression and nods. She's almost disappointed at how easily Yennefer agreed, but she's not going to push her luck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, she can't resist reaching up and using her thumb to lightly trace Yennefer's bottom lip, rubbing the smudged lip paint from the edges. Yennefer's eyes are blown out and nearly black with want, and Tissaia pulls back with a hint of a smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm sure we'll see each other soon."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She feels Yennefer's gaze following her as she turns and leaves the room, and she smiles. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>###</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The third time their paths cross is several years later. Tissaia is traveling to Ard Carraigh to meet with the king. There is conflict brewing across the continent, and she wants to ensure that he will be receptive should his armies be required. It's remarkable just how much work must be put into keep the humans from killing each other, but she's managed it for the past several centuries and doesn't intend to stop now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She is shown into the court by a guard, and she nearly curses under her breath when she sees who is sitting next to the king.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer looks even more stunning than the last time she saw her, and Tissaia thinks it's almost unfair for one person to be able to have such a monopoly on beauty. She's wearing a more elegant dress this time, with a black hem that fades in an intricate ombre up to a light cream color around her shoulders. Black beading across the surface reflects the flickering light in the hall, and Tissaia lets her eyes wander appreciatively. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Your majesty." She inclines her chin respectfully at the king, but her eyes are boring into Yennefer's. She doesn't know what game the younger woman is playing here, and she does not particularly enjoy surprises. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her gaze catches on the necklace Yennefer is wearing, a black ribbon wrapped around the base of her neck with a pendant that hangs just in the hollow of her throat. It reminds her of all the things she wanted to do the last time she saw her, and she has to rip her eyes away to focus on what the king is saying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her business is settled in short order. When the king calls for a guard to escort her back out, Tissaia blinks when Yennefer intervenes with a raised hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"There's no need. I'll see her out myself."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The king doesn't question her statement, and Tissaia barely contains an eye roll when Yennefer sweeps down from the platform and beckons her to follow. She lets the younger woman lead her out of the main hall, but instead of going straight to the castle's main doors, Yennefer turns down a narrow side hall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia follows closely, and she quickens her pace until she comes even with Yennefer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Interesting choice, to stay here," she comments lightly. "I hadn't thought you had the temperament to be a kept woman."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer is on her before she can react, shoving her against the rough stone wall and attacking her in a devastating blur of lips and teeth. Tissaia doesn't resist. She brings her hands to press at Yennefer's shoulder blades, feeling the muscles flex through the thin material of her dress as she draws her closer, encouraging her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sigh falls from her lips as one of Yennefer's hands reaches down, lifting the hem of her skirt until lithe fingers can slip beneath the hem. Tissaia arches her back, pressing closer to Yennefer and trying to get more contact between them. She feels just the pads of Yennefer's fingers brush against her once, twice--and then they're gone, and Yennefer is stepping back with a wicked look on her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia can't stop the whine from escaping her chest at the abrupt loss of contact, and Yennefer's eyes flash.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That," she says, "was for leaving me like you did the last time."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia is about to argue when Yennefer surges forward again, taking her lips in another kiss. This one is softer--still not gentle, but Tissaia loses herself in the glide of their lips, in the taste of the other woman on her tongue. When Yennefer pulls away for a second time, Tissaia very nearly chases after her, hungry for more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And that?" Tissaia's voice is rough and needy, but she doesn't much care. She's sure the want coursing through her is written all over her face. There's no sense trying to hide it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That," Yennefer replies with a small smirk, "is a hint of what's to come the next time I see you." She turns and starts to walk down the hall, but not before calling over her shoulder, "I trust you can find your way out."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia leans against the wall to support herself and prays that it won't be years until they cross paths again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>###</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The fourth time they meet, Tissaia is close to giving up. She's been trying to prevent the Nilfgaardian armies from decimating the small group of mages that have taken a stand to prevent what would surely be an absolute bloodbath in the northern kingdoms. But Nilfgaard has a mage who has been thwarting Tissaia at every opportunity, and she's exhausted. She wonders if it's even worth it to try to save them anymore. After centuries, she had thought that perhaps humans would cease to have such a penchant for self-destruction, but the burning fields in front of her are evidence of the exact opposite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She's standing slightly away from the battlefield debating whether it's worth trying to continue to salvage the situation when she hears someone approaching. She turns and sees a familiar silhouette walking towards her through the flames.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer gives her a faint smile when she sees her. "I've brought you a present."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Tissaia watches as Yennefer raises her right hand, and she sees that the younger woman has brought her a severed head--from the Nilfgaardian mage, by the looks of it. The thought that Yennefer has not only come to find her here, in spite of the fact that they haven't spoken since Ard Carraigh months ago, but that she's quite literally brought her the head of her enemy as some sort of gift is too much. She came here for </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, killed for </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without hesitation, Tissaia closes the distance between them and takes Yennefer in her arms, kissing her fiercely enough that it draws a brief noise of surprise from the younger woman. But then Yennefer is melting into her, dropping the head to roll away towards the battlefield. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia can't get enough of her, wants </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span> she has to offer, and she pushes forward harder. The movement throws Yennefer off balance and they fall to the ground, but Tissaia doesn't pause in her ministrations,  just rolls so that she's covering Yennefer's body with her own. Her hands are scrabbling at Yennefer's dress, tearing the buttons away so that she can get to the smooth flesh underneath, and she sighs in relief when she finally manages to get underneath the fabric. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer moans and arches up into her, hands tangling in Tissaia's hair and holding her close as Tissaia leans down and sucks a nipple into her mouth. Tissaia scrapes her teeth against the flesh and revels in the shiver it draws, the way Yennefer's hands tighten in her hair to keep her from moving away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She uses a knee to part Yennefer's legs and adjusts her hips so that she can grind down against her, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>--the pressure sends sparks of heat ricocheting across her body. Yennefer groans and her hips jerk up, seeking more contact as Tissaia begins to move. She wishes there was more time, that they were sprawled in an ornate bed with silken sheets beneath them so that she could take her time and devour every inch of Yennefer's body. Her fingers itch to be inside of the younger woman, but she knows she's already pushing her luck by doing this here. Relatively immortal they may be, but that doesn't mean that she fancies an arrow to the back or being set aflame by a misguided mage. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia quickens her pace, and it's rough and messy and </span>
  <em>
    <span>glorious</span>
  </em>
  <span> to watch the way that Yennefer twists beneath her, the breathy little gasps and mewls that she makes as they undulate against each other. Her eyes drift to the younger woman's neck, and it's like Yennefer knows what she's thinking, because she tilts her head to the side to bare her throat in a clear invitation. The submission is nearly enough to tip Tissaia over the edge, and she growls as she leans down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She grazes her teeth over the soft skin, giving one last opportunity for Yennefer to change her mind, but the hand in her hair pushes her </span>
  <em>
    <span>closer</span>
  </em>
  <span> and Yennefer is making a high keening sound in her throat as she tries to press even closer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Satisfied that this is what Yennefer wants, Tissaia closes her mouth and sinks her teeth into supple flesh. The first burst of blood across her tongue is all it takes for her to be set alight, her hips grinding down as she stills in absolute pleasure. Yennefer's blood tastes like everything she's ever dreamed of in this world--like freedom, and joy, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>power</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It's a heady combination that heightens every sensation running through her, and she doesn't think she'll ever be able to get enough of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer jerks up into her as Tissaia seals her mouth over the wound, sucking and laving it with her tongue, and the moan that the younger woman releases is absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>decadent</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Tissaia recalls how it had felt when Yennefer drank from her that first night, and she begins to move once more, letting a hand steal down to palm a breast and tweak a nipple between her fingers. She wants to make Yennefer </span>
  <em>
    <span>scream</span>
  </em>
  <span> before she's done, and she starts to move her hips again, slow circles with just enough pressure to keep the younger woman on the edge without falling over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She draws it out as long as she can, but eventually she can't resist. Yennefer's fingers are running up and down her back, scratching where they can, and the younger woman is frantic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Tissaia," she gasps, and that's the last straw. Hearing her name like that, with Yennefer </span>
  <em>
    <span>begging</span>
  </em>
  <span> her for release, is everything Tissaia imagined it would be. She nips at a fresh spot on Yennefer's neck and murmurs, "I want to hear you when you come."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She can feel the sobs in Yennefer's chest, the way her body is strung tight as a wire and just waiting for that last little bit of stimulation, and Tissaia shifts her hips to get a slightly better angle. Yennefer's body tenses, her mouth dropping open, and Tissaia takes the opportunity to bite down for a second time. The second her teeth break skin, she feels Yennefer let go, her body trembling and a litany of moans falling from her lips. Her hands are back in Tissaia's hair, and she presses Tissaia's face deeper into her neck as the orgasm rushes through her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she finally stills, Tissaia releases her hold on Yennefer's neck and pulls back a little, unable to help licking at the fresh wounds when a drop of blood spills over. She knows that they'll be healed and gone by morning, but for now she admires the marks she's left on the younger woman.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer doesn't seem overly inclined to move. She cards her fingers through Tissaia's hair and hums when Tissaia leans up to kiss her. Tissaia means it as a brief kiss, but then Yennefer's hands slide down to rest on her ass, pulling their hips together again, and she has to break away with a gasp.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer looks up at her with a smirk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"With the mage dead, surely you can leave them to finish this battle themselves?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Tissaia can't fault that logic. Besides, she really does want to get Yennefer in a proper bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She rises, tugging Yennefer with her, and they disappear into the smoke together.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>###</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The fifth time their paths cross, Yennefer thinks it might all come apart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She's found them--the people who captured her when she was still a child, binding her and torturing her for endless days and nights, letting her regenerate only to start the process all over again. When she escaped, they covered their tracks well. It's taken her the better part of a century to hunt them down, but now that she has, she intends to give each and every one of them a painful death.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only problem is that the people who are responsible for her torture are the most powerful mortals on the continent. They represent kings and mages, witchers and clergy alike, and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>that killing them means throwing the whole of the continent into chaos. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That isn't a problem for her, but for Tissaia? She knows the woman has spent centuries trying to hold things together--Sodden being just the most recent in a long line of examples--and she fears Tissaia's wrath for upending it all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So she's snuck into a convening of the men responsible, one of their gatherings where they find entertainment in the agony of others. She doesn't know what she'll do when Tissaia finds out, but she can't just leave this be. These men need to die, and she's the only one able to do it. No more will suffer the way that she had to, even if it means the death of the entire continent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer is hiding in the shadows, running from doorway to doorway as she makes her way towards the great room where she knows the men are gathered. She's very nearly there when she feels a sudden familiar presence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She comes to an abrupt halt as she spots her. Tissaia is leaning against the door leading to the great room, and Yennefer feels like she's being torn apart at the look of hatred in the woman's eyes. But she steels herself against it, stepping forward until they're only a few paces away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I won't let you stop me," she says quietly. And it's true. Even if it breaks her heart, she won't be swayed from her task. She waits for Tissaia to tear her apart, or to launch into a speech about the need to preserve the continent, but instead the woman steps aside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not here to stop you," Tissaia says, and her voice is threaded with steel. "I've removed the enchantments and wards they had placed in preparation of your arrival. You're free to end them as you see fit."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer stops short as she realizes that the emotion in Tissaia's eyes is not meant for her, but for the men on the other side of the door. She opens her mouth, then closes it, unsure of what to say. Tissaia sees her confusion and laughs, but it's a bitter sound.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Did you think I wouldn't find out what you were doing? No, I knew as soon as you did, and it didn't take much to put the pieces together with how I first found you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So you came here to...help me?" The words come out as more of a question than Yennefer would like, but she can't help it. This is more or less the exact opposite of what she'd expected from Tissaia. When Tissaia nods, Yennefer hesitates before asking, "But won't this mean the end of the continent?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tissaia's eyes soften and she looks at Yennefer with such tenderness that it steals Yennefer's breath away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sweet, foolish girl," she murmurs, "I would choose you over the rest of them in a heartbeat. Do you not know that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Yennefer can only blink at her, because no, she didn't quite know that. Not with the certainty that Tissaia says it with, like there was never another option besides taking her side. She's never known what it is to be chosen above everyone and everything else, and the feeling is bordering on overwhelming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"All those centuries you've spent trying to save them, though," she says softly, and she's not even sure why she's still pushing this, but she can't help it. Tissaia's eyes harden as she glances over her shoulder at the doors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I've wasted too many lifetimes trying to save them from themselves, and for what? So that they can live out sick fantasies unchallenged, killing and exploiting any and all in their path? No," she says, shaking her head, "I've done what I can, but it's time for them to reap what they have sown."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer looks at Tissaia with wonder, and Tissaia steps closer until she can rest their foreheads together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I will always choose you," she says, the words whispering across Yennefer's lips. "All the worlds in the entirety of creation are worth less to me than what I see when I look in your eyes. I would burn them all in an instant for you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer dips her head to press a needy, wanting kiss against Tissaia's lips, unable to find words that can adequately communicate the depth of what she's feeling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she pulls back, her smile shifts into something more feral.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then let us burn them to the ground."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>###</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Much later, after they've bathed in the blood of kings, mages, and witchers alike, they sit on a parapet overlooking the city below. Everything is burning, but Tissaia isn't watching the carnage unfolding in front of them. No, she's too caught up in trying to memorize every detail of how the flames reflect in Yennefer's eyes, the way the young woman's lips are just barely curled up at the edges in a satisfied smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This is just the beginning, Tissaia knows. Their actions here tonight will ripple across the continent until every acre is turned to ash and rubble, the people dead and dying as their corruption is wiped from the land. The thought used to pain her, but sitting here beside Yennefer it brings her a certain peace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yennefer turns to meet her gaze and holds out a hand, palm up. Tissaia takes it, lacing their fingers together, and she thinks that when all is said and done, perhaps what they can build from the ashes of the old world will be what she's been searching for all along.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welp. I guess we can check vampire AU off the ship list now? Lol I couldn't quite bring myself to do pure evil tissaia/yennefer, but this seemed like a way to get somewhat close-ish. Thanks to airotsa for the prompt, hope you enjoyed!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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